Stapling device for closing sample bags of tough material



Jan. 7, 1 969 KLAUS STAPLING DEVICE FOR CLOSING SAMPLE BAGS 0F TOUGH MATERIAL Sheet Filed April 13. 1965 F lg 2 Inventor.-

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A. KLAUS Jan. 7, 1969 STAPLING DEVICE FOR CLOSING SAMPLE BAGS 0F TOUGH MATERIAL Filed April 13, 1965 Sheet Inventor-.-

United States Patent 3,420,426 STAPLING DEVICE FOR CLOSING SAMPLE BAGS 0F TOUGH MATERIAL Arthur Klaus, Frankfurt, Germany, assignor to Elastic G.m.b.H., Frankfurt, Germany Filed Apr. 13, 1965, Ser. No. 447,830 Claims priority, application Germany, Apr. 15, 1964,

E 26,839 US. Cl. 227-71 Int. Cl. B25c /02 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention relates to a method of tacking tough material especially for closing sample bags by means of a plier-like stapling device carrying an anvil on one plier arm and a staple supplying channel with means of a plier-like stapling device carrying an anvil on one plier arm and a staple supplying channel with staple driver on the other plier arm which is movable toward the anvil. Sample bags are, as a rule, provided at the fill-in margin with pre-punched holes for receiving the closing clamps, clips or staples. These holes often do not register for sample bags of relatively great wall thicknesses so that sometimes considerable difficulties arise to push the customary closing clips into the perforation. Moreover the customary closing clips, clamps or staples are inserted and bent over by hand, which means an unnecessary expenditure of time. These shortcomings are, according to the invention, overcome thereby that the material to be tacked is, after its introduction into the tacking device, at first pre-pcrforated, that thereupon the staple or the like is pushed by the driver through the pre-perforation and spread on the anvil, and that then only the legs of the staple are turned over or folded down by means of a movable turn-over anvil.

The invention is also directed to a staple tacking device for carrying out the new method. The invention starts out from a staple tacking device in form of a plier, which has an anvil on one of its arms and on the other arm, which is movable toward the anvil, a staple supplying channel with a staple driver. An important feature of the invention resides in the provision of the movable arm on both front sides of the staple exit opening with one pre-punching nose or projection each and in the provision on the other plier arm on both sides of the anvil with one guide each for a turn-over anvil. The pre-punch noses provide the essential advantage that even for tacking tough material to be tacked, tacking staples can be used which correspond in regard to their material as well as in regard to the shape of their points to the rules and regulations of postal authorities, particularly those of the Federal Republic of Germany, which require for sample bags, that:

(l) The sample bag can be opened and re-closed by hand without special implements,

(2) The staple has no points which could cause injuries to a hand or to other postal goods, and

(3) Other postal goods cannot be caught by the outwardly turned-over ends of the legs of the closed staple.

All these conditions are complied with by the invention.

According to a preferred embodiment, a swing arm may be added to the movable plier arm, the free end of which grips the staple driver and which is connected with an operating lever, the shorter arm of the latter gripping under a knob or the like of a turn-over anvil provided on the swing arm. In this manner the tacking procedure, which takes place in several stages, is achieved by swinging one single operating lever.

According to a further feature of invention, an unobjectionable turning-over of the legs of the staple is achieved thereby that the pre-punching noses are longer than or at least as long as the thickness of the material to be tacked and that they form turn-over edges for the legs of the staples during the turning over.

Advantageously, the anvil may be provided with wedge-shaped front surfaces which widen or spread the staple during the penetration of the material to be tacked so as to bring the points or tips of the widened staple into the operating reach of the turn-over anvil.

Additional important features of the invention will become apparent from the following description.

The drawing illustrates the invention by way of an example. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is side elevation of a staple tacking device in the position of rest,

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the device according to FIG. 1 in the position at the end of a stapling operation,

FIG. 3 is a horizontal section along line IIIIII of FIG. 1 on a larger scale,

FIG. 4 is a section corresponding to FIG. 3 after the first step of the stapling operation, and

FIG. 5 is a section corresponding to FIG. 3 along line VV of FIG. 2, after completion of the stapling operation.

The staple tacking device is attached to a supporting structure consisting of a standard 1 and a two-plate cantilever 2 clampable to the standard at a desired height. A hollow rod 3, constituting the movable plier arm of the device, is mounted swingably about a bolt 4 between the two plates of cantilever 2. Hollow rod 3 is formed, in a manner known per se, as staple supply channel. A staple drive-out plate or blade 5 is slideably mounted transversely to rod 3 on the lower end of rod 3, as likewise known per se.

A rod 6, forming the other plier arm, is rigidly secured between the two plates of cantilever 2 and has its lower end angled-off to constitute the anvil 7, which is customary for this type of tacking devices. The anvil lies at an appropriate height relative to the drive-out blade 5. A bifurcated swing arm 8 is also mounted in cantilever 2 on a bolt 4, the prongs of this arm extending on both sides of cantilever 2 and rod 6. At the height of anvil 7, the end of swing arm 8 is formed as turn-over anvil 9, the anvil surfaces of which being arranged on both sides of anvil 7.

A swing arm 10 is mounted between the plates of cantilever 2 swingably about bolt 11 of cantilever 2 and has its lower angled-off end 12 coupled with the staple driver blade. Swing arm 10 is braced against hollow rod 3 by a strong spring 13.

An operating lever 15 is journal by bolt 14 to swing arm 10, the longer arm 16 of this lever being provided with a handle and its shorter arm with a notch. The bifurcated front end of lever arm 17 grips under one each of two outwardly projecting knobs 19 on swing arm 8. Swing arm 10 is connected with cantilever 2 by means of a spring 20. The action of spring 20 is weaker than that of spring 13. Under the influence of spring 20, swing arm abuts stop 21 of cantilever 2.

Hollow rod 3 is on both front sides of the exit opening for the tacking staples provided with a pre-punching nose 22, the length of which is slightly larger than the thickness of the sample bag customarily to be closed. The shape of the pre-punching nose is visible particularly from FIG. 3. The inside margins 23 of the pre-punching noses 22 extend parallel to one another, whereas the outer margins 24 extend at acute angles to the inner margins. FIG. 3 also reveals that anvil 7 is provided with wedge-shaped front surfaces 25 for widening out the staple upon the latter being punched through the material to be tacked, the shank of anvil 7 having a width 26 which is smaller than the distance between the points or tips of the widened-out staple, as visible from FIG. 4.

The operation of the device is as follows.

FIG. 1 shows the staple tacking device in rest position. After laying a multi-layered article 27 (FIG. 3) especially, a sample bag, upon anvil 7, the operating lever is swung clockwise. Inasmuch as the pressure exerted by spring 13 is greater than the pressure exerted by spring 20, swing lever 10, and hollow rod 3 also are moved into the position shown in FIG. 2. Hereupon, lever arm 17 slides under knobs 19 in such a manner that the knobs get into the path of the forward incline of notch 18. During this first phase of the tacking procedure the pre-punching noses 22 have pre-perforated the article to be tacked. When operating lever 15 is swung further clockwise, operating lever does not impart further swinging action on hollow rod 3 because the latter abuts anvil 7. In this second phase of the tacking procedure, spring 13 is compressed and thereby swing arm is swung clockwise relative to hollow rod 3, so that the staple driver, namely the staple push-out plate 5, is pushed forward and the prepared staple is pushed through the pre-perforated material to be tacked. This occurrence is shown in FIG. 4. Legs 28 of the staple slide along the front faces 25 of anvil 7 so that the legs of the staple are spread apart. At the end of this spreading procedure, the tips or points of the staple legs 28 extend beyond the side faces of anvil 7 and thereby get into the path of turn-over anvil 9. Upward swinging of lever arm 17 causes, by means of the forward inclines of both notches 18, swinging of swing lever 8 into the position shown in FIG. 2. During this swinging procedure, the legs of the staple are turned over or folded down in the manner shown in FIG. 5, the projecting pre-punch noses serving as bending edges, so that the legs of the staple are firmly pressed upon the material to be stapled. This completes the stapling or tacking.

Upon releasing the operating lever 15, the parts return again to the position shown in FIG. 1. The retracted driver permits, as known, the succession of the next tacking staple which then remains again in the preparedness position. Swing arm 8 is returned by a leaf spring 29, attached to cantilever 2, to the position shown in FIG. 1.

What is claimed is:

1. In a stapling device for tacking together several layers of a multi-layer article: staple delivery means; an anvil; means adapted to move said delivery means and said anvil toward and away from each other; said staple delivery means comprising means for guiding a staple and being open toward said anvil so as to permit a staple to leave said guiding means in the direction toward said anvil; a driver supported by said delivery means for back and forth movement; punching means at both sides of and at the same level with said guide means; said punching means being adapted to pre-perforate an article to be tacked while being held between said anvil and said delivery means; said anvil being adapted to permit said punching means to penetrate through and beyond said article while the latter is being held between the anvil and said delivery means; means for sequentially moving said anvil and delivery means toward each other in perforating an article held between them by said punching means and then pushing a staple by said driver through the perforations of the article; and means adapted to turn the legs of a staple having been pushed through the article at the perforations.

2. In a staple tacking device: a supporting structure; a first main arm rigidly secured to said supporting structure and having a free end carrying a main anvil; a second main arm pivoted to said supporting structure, constituting staple supply means and having a free end provided with a staple outlet opposite said main anvil and with a reciprocably guided driver for a staple; punching means on said second main arm on both sides of said outlet and said main anvil; a first swing arm pivoted to said supporting structure and carrying a turn-over anvil embracing said main anvil on both sides theerof; a second swing arm pivoted to said supporting structure having a free end engaging said driver; and means for sequentially moving said second main arm toward said first main arm, then moving said second swing arm toward said first main arm, and finally moving said first swing arm relative to said first main arm toward said second main arm.

3. Staple tacking device comprising: a supporting structure; a first plier arm rigidly secured near one of its ends to said supporting structure and carrying an anvil at its other end; a second plier arm pivoted near one of its ends to said supporting structure for movement of its other, free end toward and away from said anvil and being shaped as a hollow rod for the reception of a supply of staples; the free end of said second plier arm being provided with guide means, an outlet and a driver for a staple; punching noses on the free end of said second plier arm being arranged at the level and on both sides of said outlet and said guide means; a first swing arm pivoted to said supporting structure and carrying a turn-over anvil embracing said first named anvil on both sides thereof and being adapted to move relative to said first named anvil in a direction toward and away from the free end of said second plier arm; a second swing arm pivoted to said supporting structure for movement in a direction toward and away from said first plier arm and also movable relative to said second plier arm; a first spring means inserted between said supporting structure and said first swing arm for urging the latter away from said second plier arm; second spring means inserted between said supporting structure and said second swing arm urging the latter away from said first swing arm; third spring means of greater effective strength than said second spring means being inserted between said second plier arm and said second swing arm urging said two last named arms away from each other; the free end of said second swing arm being provided with means engaging said driver; an operating lever having its midportion pivoted to said second swing arm, having one free end provided with an operating handle, and having its other free end provided with inclined surfaces engaging lateral projectings on said second swing arm; said operating lever being adapted to pull sequentially said second plier arm and second swing arm toward said second plier arm in overcoming the action of said second spring means, of then moving said second swing arm toward said second plier arm in overcoming the action of said third spring means and finally pulling said first swing arm toward said second plier arm in overcoming the action of said first spring means; said three spring means being adapted to return said first and second swing arms and said second plier arm to their respective starting positions upon release of said operating lever.

4. In a staple tacking device according to claim 3 in which said supporting structure comprises a standard and a cantilever rigidly secured to said standard, in which said cantilever has two plates leaving a space between them, in which said plier arms and said second swing arm are mounted between said plates, and in which said first swing arm is bifurcated and. has the two prongs of the bifurcation mounted on the outside of said plates.

5. Staple tacking device according to claim 1 in which the length of said punching means is at least equal to the thickness of the article to be tacked.

6. Staple tacking device according to claim 1 in which the length of said punching means is greater than the thickness of the article to be tacked.

7. Staple tacking device according to claim 1 in which said anvil has a wedge-shaped front face adapted to widen a staple upon the latter having been pushed through the perforations of an article to be tacked.

8.;Staple tacking device according to claim 1 in which said anvil has a Wedge-shaped front face adapted to spread the legs of a staple apart upon having been pushed through the perforations of an article to be tacked, and in which said anvil has a shank of a width smaller than the distance between the tips of the spread apart legs of a staple.

9. Staple tacking device according to claim 1 in which said punching means are formed by projections having their inside margins arranged parallel to each other and having their outside margins extended at acute angles to said inside margins.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS TRAVIS S. MCGEHEE, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

